Hard Shell
by JamieTyler
Summary: When Adam and Jesse disappear after a convention the rest of the team must hurry to find them before Jess becomes a lab rat for a twisted scientist. Molecular 12, the story you requested.
1. Kidnapped

So this for Molecular 12 who kindly pointed out no one ever focuses on Jess' ability to Mass. Well, that's about to change…

Line

**Hard Shell**

Adam sighed as he exited the stage. Just off to his left, Jesse followed him through the winding backstage. It was late in the afternoon, and the end of a long day for the two.

"Last seminar?" Jesse asked and Adam could hear the yawn in the young man's voice.

He smiled to himself, fatherly, and waited as the blond caught up to him. "For today it is. I have one more tomorrow. You know, you could always get Shalimar or one of the others to baby sit me," he said as they continued walking.

Jesse shrugged, "Two reason's why that wouldn't work, boredom and bulletproof."

Adam cocked an eyebrow at Jess, "Care to explain that?"

Jesse grinned, "Well, Bren and Shal would get so board they'd start a fight, and Em would probably do a little mind hopping. And if whoever is after you brings in guns, well I'm just a human sized bulletproof vest. And really good at making escape doors too."

Adam chuckled lightly and ruffled Jesse's hair before he could stop himself. Jess didn't seem to mind though. "I do have one question to your logic though," Adam began, and it was Jesse's turn to raise an eyebrow. "What if you get so board that you wonder off and thus leave me without my bulletproof vest?"

"Then I guess you SOL."

The 'father and son' laughed together as the entered the cooling evening air and as Jesse scanned the area to make sure they were clear, Adam called home to Sanctuary to reassure everyone that they were fine.

"All clear, we're good to go," Jess said, but Adam was still on the phone.

"Alright Shalimar, alright….Yes, I….he's fine….no, he hasn't had to take any bullets….Do you want to talk to him? …Alright, fine…you too. See you tomorrow evening, bye," Adam ended the call, a dazed look on his face. "I'm the one who's being targeted and she's concerned that you're going to get hurt."

Jesse's face broke into a wide grin and he shock his head, "I love my big sis…."

"Yeah," Adam chuckled, "I wonder who she loves more though, you or me?"

Though the comment was a joke, and Jess didn't lose his smile, his eyes took on a serious glint, "We all think of you as a father Adam. And Shal would never chose between you or me. She's just upset cause we can't get this guy and she's worried what that could mean."

Adam looked at the young man in front of him and for a moment wondered what happened to the scared and nearly broken seventeen year old he had rescued. Looking at Jesse he could see the confidence and self-awareness that the boy had been robed of all his life. He could also see the tell tale signs of a sleepless night.

"You know Jess, a bodyguard who could drop dead from exhaustion does little to help the one being guarded."

Jesse shrugged, "They tried to grab you once in a restaurant, once in a lab, and once in the airport. What's to keep them from trying in a hotel?"

He had a point, whoever was after Adam was determined to get him. There had been no threats, no warnings, no mad man opening declaring his hatred for Adam; but for the last three weeks it had become clear that someone was gunning for the scientist. That's why he had a body guard with him for this latest genetics' convention.

"Well, tell you what bodyguard, why don't I buy dinner and you get a nap afterwards I have some work to do and will be up for awhile, so when I go to bed I'll wake you."

Jesse smiled, "Shal would kill me, but sounds really good."

"Come on, Thai or Chinese?"

Line

"Finally!" Jesse said with excitement.

Adam smiled, "I thought it was never going to end as well. But thankfully, that is the last lecture and the last appearance I have to make. We are free to head home," and though Adam sounded happy about it, he was disappointed. It had been a while since he had gotten a chance to spend time with Jess and this time together had been…well enduring.

"So, it's about eleven thirty, and a six hour drive to Sanctuary from here," Jesse said, giving his board fuzzed mind something to wake it up. "That'll put us there at about five thirty, six o'clock?"

"Sounds right," Adam agreed as the two left the building and headed for the car.

They never made it. Five men stepped out of the shadows and a utility van moved in from behind them.

"Dr. Kane, Mr. Kilmartin, if you would kindly come with us," said a big man who was clearly the leader. He was bald and stood about six five, with a finally built body. He wore a suit jacket over a turtleneck that flashed to occasional gun.

The other four flanked him. They too were big, and wearing turtlenecks, but were unarmed.

"Do they really think five guys can take us?" Jesse asked, and Adam sensed more then saw him shrug off his own suit jacket and prepare for a fight.

Adam for his part, was also changing his stance. He may not be a mutant, but he was no push over.

"You are surrounded, and we have the guns Mr. Kilmartin. We do not wish to harm you, but we are told to bring you in. Orders Mr. Kilmartin, orders," said the big man.

"Who's orders?" Adam asked, eyeing the four flunkies. He was betting that Jesse would take out at least one before going for the big man. That would leave him with three, and then there was the van to consider.

"You will know soon enough," and somewhere in that scientist a silent order had been given and the garage suddenly looked like bar room brawl.

Adam had been right, Jesse took out one man by simply phasing through him and then attacking from behind before taking after the big guy. However, another flunckie got in his way and Jess was forced to focus on him. Seeing that the younger man was holding his own, Adam turned to face his own two attackers. Deciding on what fighting style he was going to use, Adam waited for them to come to him.

Thirty seconds latter, it seemed like the good guys had the upper hand. Jesse had knocked down his second attacker, and Adam was just finishing up with his two, when it all went terribly wrong. In the confusion, they had both forgotten about the big guy, and had lost track of him. Big mistake, as he now stood with his gun pointed at Adam's head.

"Mr. Kilmartin, you will kindly get on your knees and interlace your fingers behind your head."

"You're well spoken for a hired gun," Jesse hissed as he did what was ordered.

Ignoring him, the big guy gave a signal to the van and three men jumped out. Two, one of them carrying a governor injector, went over to secure Jess, while one came for Adam.

Jesse struggled when he felt the cool metal of the injector on his neck, and almost managed to break the hold of the two men that held him, but for the sound of a gun cocking. "It is not Dr. Kane that we were after. It is you. Dr. Kane is expendable."

Jesse froze and looked at the man with the gun, a look of pure malice on his face.

"Behave and follow orders, Dr. Kane will live. Disobey orders and I will kill him and you will still be a prisoner."

Ever so reluctantly, Jesse lowered his head, allowing access to the back of his neck. It was over and he knew it, no use fighting. And as the governor slid home he could hear Adam call, "Jess!" And then the world exploded into pain.

Line

Jesse woke up begrudgingly. It took a moment for everything to come into focus, but he knew that he was in the back of a moving van, with his hand cuffed behind him, and Adam…where was Adam?

"Adam?"

"I'm here Jess. Try not to move, they activated the governor as soon as the put it in your neck. They kept it on for an hour or so, you're going to hurt," came Adam's voice with more then a little relief in it.

"How long?" Jess asked, a detached weariness in his voice for he was still waking up and had little time to think about the pain his body was in.

"You've been out for about three hours. We've been traveling for the entire time. No idea where we are going, no idea why, or who. Just rest Jess," Adam answered, his eyes examining the blond for any ill effects that the governor may have caused. He couldn't see any, but as he was in an unfit state to examine Jess, it did little to reassure him.

After the two men had dragged Jess into the back of the van, the man holding the gun on him forced him to his knees and handcuffed his hand behind him. He too was then taken to the van where he watched his attackers remove Jesse's watch, wallet and ring.

"We will be taking the same things from you as well Dr. Kane," said the gunman. And so they had.

Now three hours latter, here they were.

"Can't sleep. Hurts," Jesse mumbled as the first wave of after shock shook his body.

"I know Jess, just try to hang on. It won't last long."

There was no reply.

Line

"They should have called in by now!" Shal growled as she paced the rec. room floor, her agitation growing every second.

Brennan, who was reading the newspaper looked up at her and carefully suggested, "Maybe Adam's cell died?"

Shal glared at him for a moment, and he sunk lower into his chair.

"It's just a thought," he said feebly."

With and agitated yell Shal stormed out of the room. Brennan let out a sigh of relief as he watched her go.

"She's really worried," Emma said, coming into view.

"Yeah, well, can't say it's unfounded," he agreed. Truthfully though, he was just as worried. Much more controlled worry, but still just as worried. He knew that Adam and Jesse could take care of themselves, and hell if Adam couldn't take care of himself, Jesse could. And it wasn't that he didn't think that they would fall into a stupid trap, it was that they knew nothing of why Adam was being targeted. Plus, Jesse wasn't home and safe, and that always made him worried.

"I'm worried to," Emma said cryptically, "And you are."

"What's up Em? What do you sense?" Brennan knew her well enough to know that when she went creepy physic on him, she sense something.

"It's a hint of…of a lot of negative things. I can feel Jess and Adam, and they're frustrated. Jesse's…he's kind of dazed, and Adam's unsure…and there's someone else, but he's farther away, like they haven't met him yet but are going to. It's just hints of stuff, but it's not very good."

Brennan shuddered and put the newspaper down, "Maybe we should start looking for them."

Line

About an hour after Jesse came to the van pulled to a stop.

"Wha…." Jesse began as he tried to lift him up, but Adam was quick to stay him.

"Let's just see what happens for now, alright?" the elder man suggested and Jesse had little choice but to obey.

He was working on exhaustion, the after shock of the governor affecting his body more then he'd like to admit. Even now, traces of them tore at his core and caused him to grunt.

There were footsteps outside of the van that moved towards them. From what Adam could tell, there was only man and he doubted it would be any of the flunkies from earlier. He was right, it was the still unknown big man that opened the door, gun drawn and pointed at him.

The same second that the door was opened, the big guy had triggered the governor, not to the same degree as before, but enough that it made Jess cry out.

"It isn't necessary to activate that thing," Adam said, his attention shifting from the gun to Jesse who's face showed the signs of pain.

"Forgive me Dr. Kane, I have heard stories of Mutant X and Mr. Kilmartin's ability to defy odds and escape. Until he is safely in the custody of my employer, I will be cautious. Now if you would please step out of the van," the big guy said.

Reluctantly Adam did as he was told, climbing ungracefully from the van. It was then that he got his first look around. It was clear they were no longer in the city, and from what Adam could tell, they probably weren't anywhere on any map. From the bunker entrance and the barbwire fence it looked like they were on military land, but Adam wasn't sure. Maybe a covert group operating in an old military research facility?

His attention was drawn back to Jesse when he heard the soft thud of a body hitting dirt. Adam moved to check on Jess, who lay twisting in the dirt, but was ordered back with the sound of the gun being cocked.

"I insist doctor that you allow me," the big guy said as he carefully leaned in to drag Jesse to his feet. The molecular didn't fight, he much preferred standing to the dirt, however his body had other ideas and the big guy had to hold him fast so he wouldn't fall.

"Now gentlemen, your host is waiting."


	2. Chapter 2

Feral's Revenge, you know me to well

Feral's Revenge, you know me to well. I think a cookie factory will cover it and the kitty will not be necessary. ;P

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**Dr. Wakefield's Lab**

"Dr. Kane, Mr. Kilmartin, so nice of you to join us," said a leggy brunet as she slinked her way up to the men. She wore a business skirt suit under a white lab coat. Her hair was pulled tightly back into a pony tail, and her hazel eyes were hidden behind a pair of black rimmed glasses. "My name is Annett, I am Dr. Wakefield's assistant."

Adam frowned his brow as the name struck a cord in his mind, "Wakefield? Jeremy Wakefield?"

"Precisely Dr. Kane. He welcomes you to his home, and wishes to speak with you personally. Steven, if you would kindly take care of Mr. Kilmartin, I will attend to Dr. Kane."

But Adam was reluctant to move, "What does Wakefield want?"

"All in good time Dr. Kane. Now if you will please come with me," Annett ordered in a no nonsense voice, a hiss of pain from Jesse sharpening her words.

"Adam?" Jesse said as he watched the scientist moved forward to follow the women.

The one word, his name, was a question. Fight and flight, or stay and play? Do they try their hand at escaping now or play this drama out to the end? It was quit possible, that even with their hands bond, they could over power Steven (the big guy) and escape. A long shot, yes, but still possible. However, there was no telling how many 'unfriendlys' they would be facing, or how they would escape, or if Jesse could take down Steven before the governor was activated. There were too many ifs, too many things that could go wrong and Adam had no desire to see Jesse hurt or killed.

"It'll be alright Jess. Go with it for now," The doctor/father said, meeting the young man's eyes. A silent conversation passed between them and Jesse sagged his shoulders.

"Be careful," Jess said before the two were separated.

LINE

Shalimar slammed the phone down more aggravated then she had been before.

"Easy Shal, if you break the phone it can't help us," Emma said softly as she sat in a half meditated state.

Shal ignored her and turned her attention to Bren, "Any luck with the coms?"

"None what so ever," Brennan said with a sigh, "They're not active."

"Damn it….They checked out of the hotel, the were at the conference for Adam's last seminar and then they just disappeared….where the hell are they?!" Shalimar snarled as she began to pace.

"We should follow their trail," Emma said sometime latter, her voice soft and far off.

"Em, they have no trail," Brennan said softly, before Shalimar could say anything.

"Not that you can see," she replied staring at him with unfocused and glowing eyes.

LINE

"Ah Dr. Kane, how wonderful for us to finally meet," exclaimed Jeremy Wakefield, a small wiry man with slicked back brown hair and a freckled face. He looked like the favorite high school teacher, not a mad scientist.

"Jeremy Wakefield, weapons research, US Army?" Adam asked, an uneasy feeling settling.

"Former Army researcher, we had a parting of ways," the doctor said. Please, Annett remove those barbaric things from our guest and get him a drink. We two men of science have much to talk about."

"Of course doctor, right away," said the lovely young women as she set about following the orders. Adam took the opportunity to look around the room. It was defiantly some kind of living room to a barracks. The set up reminded him of one of his own safe houses with as much home like touches that an underground bomb shelter could have.

"Please, have a seat," Jeremy said, gesturing towards a seating area. Adam obliged and soon the two men were settled on a sofa while Annett served them scotch.

"I know all about you Dr. Kane, and your work with genetics, but I am surprised that you have heard about me," Jeremy said ever so pleasantly.

'Oh I've heard about you,' Adam thought grimly. Jeremy had said he and the Army had, had a parting of ways, what would have been more accurate was that they had fired him. Jeremy was a scientist researching the affects of lazars on warfare, but when his tests had turned to more inhumane testing the Army sent out a warrant. But before they could make an arrest the doctor and is assistant had fled.

"I have contacts at the Pentagon," Adam replied evenly as he took a sip of his scotch.

"I suppose you would, you would have to. I mean they wouldn't let you, a creator of a whole new strand of human, live in peace for your research," Jeremy said bitterly, a darkness passing over his face ever so quickly.

"What I don't understand, Dr. Wakefield…"

"Jeremy, please."

"Jeremy, is what a man of weapon technology needs with a geneticists?"

Jeremy laughed softly at Adam's question, causing the Mutant X leader to raise an eyebrow. "Oh, do excuse me Dr. Kane, it's just been a long time since I was reminded about the ego's of scientists. Oh no Dr. Kane, while I am honored to have you here, it was really Mr. Kilmartin that I was after all along."

LINE

"Sit in the chair," Steven ordered as he shoved Jess into a barber's chair. While Steven secured Jesse in place with a strap across in chest, Jess took quick glances around the room. It was much the same as a gym bathroom with a row of open showers and across from the showers rows of lockers. He sat just to the left of everything next to a sink and counter.

After a few minuets of sitting uncomfortably in the chair and watching as Steven gathered different supplies, Jess heard the unmistakable sound of an electric razor. A few seconds latter he was watching his hair fall to the floor.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing!" Jesse cried as he tried to jerk his head away, but Steven held his fast.

"Hold still, or I'll nick you," was the only reply and about twenty minuets later Jesse was being hauled up from the chair, shaking with rage and bald.

"Remove your clothing and step into the shower," Steven ordered as he unbound Jesse, "And no funny stuff or I'll trigger the governor."

"I showered this morning, thanks." Jesse growled, changing his stance so that could keep Steven in view while he rubbed life back into his wrists.

"You have five minuets," was the unflinching reply.

Jesse dropped his arms to his side and squared his shoulders. "Well, it's going to be a long five min…" But Jesse didn't get a chance to finish the sentence before he fell to his knees screaming.

Growing tired of Jesse's defiance, Steven had activated the governor to near max and allowed Jesse to twist in agony on the floor for a few minuets. When he was sure that the fight had been beaten out of Jesse for the time being, Steven deactivated the governor. Jesse lay unmoving, face contorted, breathing ragged as he fought the pain that still remained in his body. Looking at the pathetic form on the floor and sighed frustrated. He pulled a knife from his back pocket and straddled Jess, preparing to remove his shirt.

Jesse wasn't so out of it that he didn't relies what was happening and he weakly clutched to Steven's hand as he moved from his shirt to his pants. "Relax pretty boy, you're not my type, I like mine with hair."

"Bastard…" Jesse wheezed out, a mixture of anger, helplessness, and shame filling him. He tried again to force Steven off of him, and received a backhand for his efforts.

"You should have done this the easy way," Steve hissed as he finished.

Soon Jess was naked and being shoved under a cool spray of the shower, "Five minuets," was again barked at him, and this time Jesse didn't resist.

Fifteen minuets latter Jesse was dressed in a pair of scrub pants, and told to sit on a medical table. He was hesitant when he saw the straps that were strategically placed at different places around the table, but the threat of the governor was enough to convince him. Now he sat, nervously fidgeting, waiting for whatever was to come. Steven stood across from him, arms folded and face blank, watching Jesse to makes sure he didn't try anything.

"So is this where you're going to brand my arm and assign me to a camp?" Jesse hissed after several minuets of tense silence.

There was no reply from the stony figure in front of him except an emotionless stare.

With a frustrated sigh, Jesse resolved himself to wait, his anger growing.


	3. Chapter 3

"What do you want from Jesse

**Diamond in the Rough**

"What do you want from Jesse?" Adam said, his stomach tying itself into knots.

Jeremy stood stiffly and began to pace the room. Adam wasn't sure if he was agitated or unable to explain his master plan, so jus to be on the safe side he remained silent and let the man do as he would. His patents were rewarded when Jeremy finally stopped, faced him, and began to speak.

"Imagine an unstoppable weapon that could halt a war in its track with one shot. A weapon that is so frightening, and so powerful that no leader, however deranged, would dare to oppose it. Can you imagine that? A quick ending to all war with minimal loss of life? The power that the wielder of that weapon would have?"

Adam thought for a moment, picking his words careful, "I can imagine. Seems someone once said that about my New Mutants. But I would imagine such a creation would put you out of a job."

Jeremy laughed at the joke and shock his head, "I suppose people in my field would have limited job opportunities for a while but there is always someone who will try to one up me, as it where."

Adam nodded, and even managed to force a small smile for Jeremy, but his mind was racing and his instincts screamed danger. And he still didn't know what Jeremy wanted from Jess. "I still don't understand how Jesse fits into all this."

There was a flash of something dark and insane in Jeremy's eyes, "When the Army cut my funding and turned me into a fugitive, I was working on a lazer. This lazer is highly focused and so hot I managed to burn throw lead, iron, brick and even diamonds. It's created molten rock, turned just about every object to dust, it makes blood, muscle, human tissue disappear!"

And Jeremy went on singing the praises of his new weapon, but Adam had zoned him out. He didn't like the way the conversation was heading and his sharp mind was filled with stories that he had heard about the weapons engineer. Stories of testing a military prisoners and soldiers in vegetated states. Stories of charred and burned bodies with metal melted into skin. Adam so did not like the way the conversation was headed, not at all.

"I was close to completing my weapon, so far nothing could stop it," Jeremy said drawing Adam back to his monolog. There was a far away look in the mad doctor's eye and Adam wasn't sure if he saw him there or not. "I had started human testing, but the subjects were to week. No matter what armor I used, the lazer killed them quickly…."

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Adam asked.

"NO! NO! IT WAS TO EASSY! IF IT'S MEANT TO BE UNSTOPABLE IT HAS TO DESTROY EVERYTHING ANYONE CAN DO TO IT!!"

After the out burst a tense silence filled the room. At some point Annette had slipped out of the room, but Adam was sure she hadn't gone to far. It took a moment for Jeremy to calm himself down enough to continue with his story, that whole time Adam was nearly paralyzed with fear.

"I was so close, so, so close, but the armor wasn't strong enough and the Army called me a murderer. I had to take all me research and run. I left the prototype behind, but it didn't matter. I didn't have a worthy test subject, then I heard about mutant x. More importantly Jesse Kilmartin and his molecular powers. I heard reports that he could change his molecules to form a skin stronger then a diamond. I did my research, I contacted Genomex, his former case doctor, Manson or something of the like, and I saw my diamond in the rough. My chance to prove that I have created the ultimate weapon…."

Adam felt an almost paternal wave of fear that was so intense and griping that it was indescribable. "You're going to use Jesse to test you're weapon."

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When Adam and Jesse hadn't arrived home or called in, the rest of Mutant X had begun to search for them. Emma's predictions of dread only fuelled the teams need to search. Using the Helix, they made it to the convention in time to question several of the convention officials and the hotel manager to learn that both Adam and Jesse had left, seemingly very happy and certainly well. There was nothing. Nobody could tell them anything, nobody knew anything, and nobody cared.

Shalimar was pissed, Brennan was worried, and Emma was withdrawn. They were fast approaching their wits end.

"How the hell could two people disappear into thin air?!" Shal growled as the three settled into a hotel room for the evening.

"They didn't disappear Shal. We'll find them," Brennan reassured, his own unease gave his voice an edge.

"That's what you've been saying since we started looking for them! We'll find them, we'll find them! Well we've been looking and there isn't any sign of them!"

"Would the two of you shut up!" Emma snapped from the corner. She had been trying to meditate, trying to focus, but the constant bickering was making it hard and giving her a head ach until she couldn't take it anymore. The outburst was accompanied by an energy blast that hit a lamp, and shattered it. A bit excessive, but it worked, both Shal and Brennan gave her their full attention.

"I know you're worried Shal and, Bren I know you're feeling useless, but distracting me from trying to focus my mind is not going to help anybody! If you want something to do to help then go find the security footage from the convention center garage! I'm pretty sure the two of you combined can do that!"

And that is how Brennan and Shalimar found themselves breaking into a convention center security office.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Madness of Wakefield**

Shalimar and Brennan were like a well-oiled machine. They didn't need words or hand signals to know what was expected or what was to be done, they just knew. Together they entered the Convention center; together they slipped past the security guards, cameras, and motion sensors.

That was the easy part, with Shalimar's stealth and Brennan's powers, no man or electronic could stand in their way. So now, about twenty minuets after they first entered the building, they had reached their destination in the command center.

"Are these all the recordings from this morning?" Shalimar asked holding up several discs.

Brennan was holding onto the only security guard that was still conscious while at the same time keeping an eye on the door.

"Ye-ye-yes ma'am…." Stammered the terrified guard.

"Relax," Brennan said shaking the man, "Nothing's going to happen to you as long as you stay quite. What are you doing?" Brennan asked while watching Shalimar playing around with some computers.

"I'm deleting us…." She answered, "And now we no longer exists…. ok, we can go."

Brennan zapped his prisoner hard enough to knock him out and then followed Shalimar out. An hour latter they were back in the hotel with a haphazard computer control panel set up.

"Jesse's the export, not me, but I think I have it set up so we can scan faces and watch the tapes," Shalimar said.

"There's got to be like, what forty eight hours worth of tape?" Brennan sighed.

"Seventy two, at least. But there is a fast forward button… and I've set up the search on two computers so it will take…."

"Twenty four hours?" Brennan sighed.

"It'll take longer if you sit there and complain about it," Shalimar hissed.

So with another sigh, Brennan set himself to the mind-numbing task.

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"You're going to use Jesse to test your weapon," Adam said, the full horror of that statement clear on his face.

"Just think about it! It's brilliant! There is no material stronger then his diamond shell on this earth! If my weapon can penetrate his skin then it truly will be unstoppable! And all those military big wigs with sticks up their asses who tried to condemn me will be begging me to give them my weapon" Jeremy declared, again going off on a rant.

"You'll kill him…" Adam hissed, anger and out rage now balancing out his horror.

"What's one more dead mutant? As far as the world is concerned he doesn't exist."

"He does to me," Adam declared, standing up to stare down the man.

"You're a man of science, surly you understand the…"

"No, I don't. I could never understand how science justifies madness!"

"I'm sorry you feel that way Dr. Kane. I had hoped we could work together, I see that is not possible now."

Adam Felt light headed his vision started to blur. He had to sit back down and it didn't take Jeremy telling him to know that he was drugged.

"We drugged your scotch. It's harmless, you'll wake up with a nasty headache, but in the meantime it will keep you pacified. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll leave you in the capable hands of Annett while I go tend to my work."

The last thing Adam saw before the drug over took him was Jeremy Wakefield's retreating back.

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'This is not good….' Jesse mind kept screaming as he lay restrained on the medical table. He

A few minuets ago a man, who his guard had called Dr. Wakefield, entered the medical room and began barking orders. It didn't take much to persuade Jesse to do as he was told, just a wave of the governor remote and he was whipped. But now he wondered if it was a mistake as he watched different surgical tools being shifted about. A breathing tube had been inserted into his throat and he was struggling to control his breathing.

"Kane is neutralized and Annett will be here to operate on the subject as soon as she is done securing Kane. Right now I need your help with the lazer…." Wakefield said as he and Steven left Jesse alone.

'What they do to Adam? What the hell does he mean by "operate on the subject?" and what the fuck does he need a lazer for?!' Jesse's mind franticly asked.

It was nearly a half hour later before one of Jesse's questions was answered when the leggy brunette entered in surgical scrubs.

"Good evening Mr. Kilmartin, how are you feeling today?" she asked with a creepy cheerfulness. "You may not remember, but I'm Annett and I'm a biologist who works with engineering biological weapons. I'm also a skilled surgeon. Today I will be putting a chest tube in your right lung and will be inserting a specially designed governor given to us by Genomex. I'm sure you're wondering why this is being done to you, and the answer is simply that you are to be the test subject for Dr. Wakefield's newest lazer. Now then, shall we begin?"

Jesse's heart raced and he began to fight the restraints, which did little good as they held him fast. Annett ignored his struggles and began her work. The tube in his throat muffled Jesse's scream but it was still pain filled and terrifying.


	5. Scream

A/N: This Chap is for ShadwWolfDagger for getting me off my ass and making me write it.

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Jesse's heart raced and he began to fight the restraints, which did little good as they held him fast. Annett ignored his struggles and began her work. The tube in his throat muffled Jesse's scream but it was still pain filled and terrifying.

"Oh Mr. Kilmartin, that won't do. If you fidget, my hand may slip," Annett scolded lightly as she paused in her work. She had cut into Jesse's right lung in preparation to insert a chest tube. Poor Jess could feel the burning pain spreading through his side al the while knowing the worst was yet to come. A few seconds later the worst came as he felt the sterilized tube being positioned in his side and his right lung deflate.

"Now, I have to remove your breathing tube for a quick second to rearrange it. So I want you to take a deep breath and exhale," Annett said as she paused the machine in its task. Jesse felt panic rise in his chest as his brain convinced him that he was no longer breathing and he started to struggle, only managing to cause himself more pain.

Before he knew what was happening the tube was being pulled from his throat and he was choking. He wanted to scream, to call for Adam. He wanted to demand answers to his questions, to see Adam, to be released, but all he could do was choke and cough and when he could finally breath Annett was already replacing the tube.

"Steven is an excellent nurse, but he doesn't know how to do a double breathing tube and unfortunately he had placed it in the wrong lung. Oh well, it's an easy fix and soon we'll be ready to sit you up and start on the governor. See, there we are, you're all ready," Annett chatted away as she worked, but all Jesse could do was fight to remain conscious.

His vision was blurring and his side was on fire. As soon as the breathing tube had been replaced, his right lung and expanded and would not deflate. A whole new level of panic and terror filled him as he recognized the technique and what it was used for. The specialized governor that was to be placed in him had been designed by Dr. Harrison and it allowed one to take control of a mutant's power to such a point that they could section off the power. Regardless of the mutant's physical limitations.

"Now then, we're ready for the governor…." And Jesse felt a sob form in his chest.

LINE

Emma was concentrating on nothing and everything all at the same time. Millions upon millions of thoughts were bombarding her but she was only searching for one. There was no thought of time or space. They didn't exist. They had no power over her. In this world only thought mattered and there were millions of them, none of which were her own.

She was in a sea, wadding. Someone was making wedding plans, someone was fighting, someone had last their mother, and someone was having sex so many emotions, so many thoughts, so many people and all she wanted was one. One of theirs... his or his. Either one would do. The briefest thought, a fleeting dream, anything for her to latch onto and make a link….

What she got was a scream….

LINE

Both Brennan and Shalimar barged through the bedroom door where Emma had secluded herself. The younger girl was screaming near hysterically and huddled in on herself. Strangled sobs shock her body and she looked as if she was in agony.

Startled by Emma's condition with no apparent reason why, Brennan raced over to her and tried to shake her into awareness. When that failed to revive her, he carefully shocked her, just strong enough to wake her up. This time it did the trick and Emma snapped back to reality, but the horror of what she had felt was still engraved on her face.

"What happened?" Shalimar asked, wrapping her arms protectively around her friend and pulling her into an embrace.

Emma didn't resist, she trembled as she allowed Shalimar to rock her gently, silent tears falling from her eyes.

"Emma, what did you feel?" Brennan asked softly after a few moments.

"Jesse…I felt Jesse…" she whispered, causing Shalimar to stiffen behind her.

"Is he alright?" Brennan asked.

"No…he's screaming…."


	6. Chapter 6

**Reality Check**

There was a ringing in his ears and a pounding in his head. The world was tipsy and spinning, despite the fact that he was seemingly laying down. Adam groaned as reality made a fight to comeback.

'Must have been some party last night…' he thought as he struggled to sit up. His head spun for a moment and he had to sit still with his eyes closed for the dizziness to pass. Once he was able o look around his room a startling realization hit him, 'This isn't my room…this isn't Sanctuary….'

The room he was in was nothing more then a jail cell. It had a cot, which he was sitting on, a toilet, and a sink off in the corner. The door looked to be solid metal with only a mail slot to see through. There was no window and the only source of light came from a naked bulb hanging from the ceiling.

"Where the hell am I?" Adam said up loud as he attempted to stand. His attempted failed, and he crashed back down to the cot. "God damn it!" the scientist bellowed as he rubbed his aching head. It was throbbing now, and with each new pulse of pain another memory flashed through his mind as the pervious day's events replayed in his head.

"Oh Jess…how the hell am I going to get you out of this?"

* * *

Shalimar was pissed. Hell, she was beyond pissed. She sat there in front of a computer screen staring at images upon images with her best friends in the bedroom. One crying her eyes out and the other trying his best to sell her a lie.

"It's going to be ok Em. It's going to be ok. We're going to find them. It's going to be ok," Brennan had said.

"The hell it is!" Emma had yelled, anger and frustration clear as day in her voice.

In times like these, Shal did not envy Emma. She was so close to all of them. So connected to their feelings and their minds. It was the curse of her gift. She couldn't help it and no matter how many wall she built around them or how hard they tried to shield her from themselves, she would always feel it. Still, they tried to. They loved her so that they tried to keep her safe from themselves. They tried to keep their dark away.

The fact that Jesse wasn't shielding, that he wasn't attempting to, spoke volumes. Even higher volumes then his screams. It yelled that they were hurting him. They were scaring him. They were breaking him. And all Shalimar could do was sit their and watch 'home movies,' while a computer scanned faces for anything. Any clue.

They had already found the abduction footage. Already seen it. They knew that Adam and Jesse had been safe up to that morning. That they had been on their way home. Their final phone call home had given them that. So they had narrowed their footage search down to that morning. And they had found it, the abduction.

They knew that Jesse and Adam had fought, had tried. They had nearly succeeded in their escape attempt. But Shal saw their one mistake, they hadn't been paying attention to everyone. And that was what caught them. The boss man had moved behind Adam during the fight and held a gun to his head. Jesse was forced to his knees and had a governor put into his neck. And Shalimar had hissed sharply when she saw it used on him; animalistic rage surging through her blood.

Unfortunately, while Adam and Jesse's fighting styles had been clear as day, the abductor's faces had been blurry. The security cameras were old and dirty. Shal had, had to run the footage through six different filters to clean it up. She had, had to play witness to the past six different times while her anger grew. She didn't know much right then and there, but she did know that when she got her hands on the bastards who did this she couldn't be held responsible for what happened to them.

Now, on the seventh time, she managed to clean the footage up enough to run it through the recognition scan. So for the seventh time she sat and watched the horror show play through, and her blood boiled, and the technology did it's work, and Jesse slipped farther out of her reach. Until a miracle happened, and the scan produced a name to go with a face.

"Well hello there Ronald Miller, 654 Fair More Street, how would you like to meet me face to face?" Shal asked the screen, a completely feral smile on her face.

* * *

Jesse had been through many things in his short life. Had survived more odds and more hells then anyone could ever have imagined. There was never a tight situation that he couldn't phase out of. Never a blow that was hard enough to dent his hard shell. He was the undefeated victor in his life's trials. He had yet to meet his match and that had left him feeling pretty invincible. Until now.

Now reality had come to check in and was kicking his ass.

To say he was in pain was to call an elephant 'big.' His head was exploding, small eruption of nerve cells imploding inside him. A firry pit of hell consuming his right side and lung. The frantic fight for air and the almost other worldly feeling that kept him in an alternate state. The thought had occurred that they didn't need him fully alive to complete their tests.

Because of his molecular structure, his powers were hardwired into his brain and almost as natural as breathing. As long as his core brain functions were working, he would phase and mass just like they wanted him to without even being aware of it. He shoved that though away as far and deep as he could. He didn't want to think about the brain damage that was being inflected upon him at the moment. Anymore then he wanted to feel the pain. The truth was, however, there was no avoiding it.

Even when his tormentors spoke he was unable to avoid the pain. He could barely make sense of them and didn't even know if they were talking to him or not; not with his eyes firmly shut.

"Pain was more intense then expected….will have to wait for heart rate to drop some….lazer is functioning….governor is working….full control….heart rate stabilizing….another hour…."

There were different voices, but they all blended together. Jesse tried to focus, tried to push his mind past his pain. He needed to know what was happening, he needed to know what they were planning, and he needed to know where Adam was. But his fear and the pain combined made it impossible for his mind to overcome anything. It was no good.

He lay on a cold operating table with tubes shoved down his throat and in his chest, stripped down to scrub pants, and strapped down in restraints. His entire world had been reduced to forcing himself to take that next painful breath and trying to keep his body from suffocating. That was it. He didn't even have the ability to pray.

It was a fuck of a reality check.


	7. Chapter 7

**Intimidation**

"How is she?" Shalimar asked as Brennan exited the back bedroom.

"Calmer. She's calmer…" Brennan mumbled as he ran his hand through messy hair.

Shalimar careful studied the man in front of her, noting the worry lines around his eyes, the tension in his shoulders and back, and the nervous energy that was just below the calm exterior. She could also smell the want, the need that was circling him. Jesse was his lover, that was a well-established fact, and now Jesse was in danger and Brennan couldn't do anything to help him. It was killing him. It was killing all of them, but Brennan would all but die if anything happened to Jesse.

"How are you?" Shalimar asked him, letting her words carry the softness and affection she held for him.

Brennan shook his head, "I'm here. I'm not happy, but I'm here. Emma's dream or connection…thing… has Jesse in some kind of lab. She caught a glimpse of a scalpel and she felt a pain in her right side and her head. She was having problems breathing and she couldn't move…. so whatever is happening to Jess, it sounds like an…."

"Experiment," Shalimar finished for him, the disgust and horror clearly evident in her voice, "Did she get a hit on Adam at all?"

Brennan shook his head and took a seat at the table they had set up to run the face scans. For the first time since entering the room he noticed the face on the screen. "Who's he?"

Shalimar smiled wickedly, "He's Ronald Miller, and he lives at 654 Fair More Street. He's also the one who put the governor in Jesse's neck."

A dark shadow settled on Brennan's face and he looked at the man with a new, and deadly, interest.

"Want to pay him a visit?" Shalimar asked.

"Hell yes," he answered.

Line

Jesse whimpered as he felt the governor activate. Slowly the device took control of his body and forced his right side to from it's tell tale red scales. From his neck down to his feet, his right side held the mass form, painfully, for the next several minuets. And as soon as that test was over, it was repeated. Again and again, Jesse's powers were activated on his right side. Again and again, they preformed the tests and again and again Jesse's powers preformed the way they wanted. Each time Jesse gave them the desired result.

"His heart rate is back to normal, I do believe we can began the testing," Annett said to the man Jesse had heard called Dr. Wakefield.

"Good, good!" the man exclaimed, "Steven, can you remove his clothing? I need access to his legs for the initial tests. Now, Annett…"

Jesse was left on the table; barely conscious, only able to whimper and watch as Steven took a pair of scissors to the only remaining piece of dignity he had left.

"…We'll make his right side the variable and his left the control. I'm going to set the laser and I want you to study the burns," the man continued as Steven removed the last of Jesse's clothes.

What the hell… Jesse tried to sit up, but failed. Somewhere in the whole confusion before, his head had been strapped down. DAMNIT! Jesse shouted in his mind as he weakly struggled to free himself.

"Annett, stop him," he heard someone say before he felt a sharp shock down his spine and nearly every muscle in his body locked up.

Internally Jesse was screaming and sobbing in agony. Externally he was rendered helpless. Annett had activated the governor fully, and taken control of his body, no longer allowing him to move his limbs.

"Alright, if you both will put on your goggles and move behind me we can begin," the voice said.

God no. Please no. No. No. No. Please God no…. ADAM HELP! HELP ME!

Jesse screamed as the laser burned a clean patch of skin on his left leg, leaving behind a second-degree burn. But it didn't end there. The worst was still to come as Dr. Wakefield asked Annett to mass Jesse's right side. The sensation was too overwhelming for Jesse's mind and he blacked out. It didn't matter to his tormentors, who either didn't notice or ignored this fact and continued on with the test. This time the laser was unable to penetrate Jesse's skin.

After thirty seconds, the laser was turned off and Steven went to check Jesse's vitals while Annett examined and photographed the burns.

"As I expected. His mass form is stronger then a diamond," Wakefield commented after hearing her report.

"Even his un-massed skin has amazing durability. Look at this; it's a second-degree burn, but only just. It's amazing! I recommend repeating the test though, on a different location just to make sure," Annett added. "Steven, how are his vitals?"

"His heart rate's a bit fast, but he's stable. He could stand another test but I recommended giving him an hour to recover afterwards," was the reply.

"Good. Let's get started then," Wakefield said a little too gleefully.

(The next evening)

654 Fair More Street looked normal enough. It was a small house with a chain fence in an ok neighborhood. It needed a new coat of paint, maybe some yard work, but it was an average working class home. There was a beat up pick up in the driveway and a dog tied up in the backyard.

The living room light was on, and the sound of some TV show was playing. It was so loud that Shalimar could hear it in the yard. But then again, Shalimar wasn't completely human at the moment so every sense was thriving. Behind her Brennan moved silently and controlled. Neither one of them wanted to screw up, they had already lost three days.

Brennan and Shalimar flanked the door, Brennan nearest the lock. He sparked up and made short work of the door, allowing Shalimar to open it. Both were cautious and on high alert. Miller was x military and now worked as a freelance mercenary. Both Shal and Bren expected, and hopped for, a fight.

Shal slithered in the door, her eyes flashing gold as she scanned the house. It was dark, and she was in an entrance hallway. To her left was a kitchen and to her right there was a staircase to the upstairs. Down the hall was the living room with the TV and her target. She signaled to Brennan, who moved around to the kitchen, where Shal could see an opening that lead into the living room.

Shalimar, herself, took the direct route and made her way down the hall straight into the barrel of a gun.

"Hold it right there little girl," growled an irritated Miller as he sited down the barrel of his shot gun, "What are you doing in my house?"

Shalimar paused as she quickly took in the situation. Miller was tall, maybe an inch or two taller then Brennan, and he was well built. Probably a body builder or work out freak. The gun was a good old pump action shot gun, and held steady in Miller's grasp. Behind Miller was the TV, a signal couch, some clutter, and Brennan.

"Distracting you so I can come up from behind," Brennan said as he powered up. Miller spun to face him, turning his back on the feral. The poor bastard was thus hit from both sides as Brennan zapped him and Shalimar tackled him. He was unconscious in seconds, and before you could say "Mutant X", he was seated in a kitchen chair, bound and gagged, and left alone with two angry New Mutants.

Line

Adam paced his cell, agitated and worry. Since waking up, he had seen no sign of his 'hosts', and more importantly, had learned nothing of Jesse's fate. Something inside him, some instinct, told him Jesse was still alive, but Adam knew that time was running out.

'If only there was some way out of this damn cell!' he thought angrily eyeing his surroundings. Much to his dismay, there was nothing. Sighing, he sat on the cot and rested his aching head in his hands, rubbing his temples. Moments later the smiling face of Jeremy Wakefield entered the room.

"Good evening Dr. Kane. How are you feeling?" he greeted enthusiastically.

Adam just glared up at the man, hatred in his eyes.

"Are you hungry? I can have Steven bring you food if you so wish." He continued, unfazed.

"Where is Jesse?" Adam demanded.

"He's resting. It was incredible Dr. Kane! Your molecular is just incredible!"

"'My molecular' is a twenty two year old man, who has never, in his life, done anything to deserve to be used as lab rat," Adam growled.

Again, Wakefield ignored Adam and continued on, "We tested the laser, very successfully I might add. The molecular ware barely even burned on the controlled side, and not at all on the variable side…"

Adam jumped up, fists clenched and face taunt, "His name is Jesse, and you can't do this to him! You can't keep torturing him! He's a human being and you have no right to experiment on him!"

Wakefield stepped back from Adam, a little intimidated by the angry scientist. "Just like you do, Dr. Kane? Just like the tests you've run on him? Or just like when you made him what he is? Tell me, Dr. Kane, what do you call all the tests and procedures that you perform on him?"

"That is different, completely different. I'm trying to safe his life!" Adam countered.

"Is it so different, Dr. Kane? I'm trying to save millions of lives worldwide! What is the life of this one molecular compared to that?" Wakefield snapped, before leaving Adam alone in his cell once again.

Adam sank to the floor groaning, "Oh Jesse…I'm so sorry…"


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: No real action in this chap. Just a little bit of hurt Jesse. Nonetheless, enjoy.

**Strange Comfort**

Jesse was floating. He was drifting, detached from everything around him. So what if his legs were burned and his side was nearly split in half? So what if a governor had stripped him completely of all control? So what if he felt like he was dying? Right now he was drifting and the hands that were manhandling him weren't a stranger's but his lover's.

_Right now, he was lying in Brennan's bed, home at Sanctuary, safely held in Brennan's arms. Brennan was reading something by Poe and Jess was most likely be sketching. Jesse sighed in annoyance as he 'messed' up the sketch yet again, and Brennan chuckled as he kissed his forehead saying, "It looks fine." Jesse just gave him an irritated look and started over on a new page anyways. Brennan shook his head and mumble, "perfectionist…" _

_And Jesse replied, "You weren't complaining last night." That caused Brennan to laugh and Jesse felt him shift and stretch his body before he removed himself from under Jesse, causing the younger man to fall flat. "Oh, now how am I suppose to draw?" Jesse mumbled._

_Brennan chuckled and straddled Jesse, carefully removed the sketchbook from Jesse's hands and placing it on the floor next to his bed. Brennan then took hold of Jesse's wrists and pinned them down by his head. He leaned over Jesse, face just inches from his. "You're not…" Brennan whispered causing Jesse to shiver before Brennan kissed him. And Jesse melted into him, the imperfect sketch long forgotten._

Yeah, that was where Jesse was right now. Not here in a lab, where he was nothing but the test subject. Not here unable to fight the hands that were touching him without permission. It didn't mater that they were bandaging his burns and checking the tubing that was keeping Jesse alive; he wanted them to stop. Ignoring the growing disgust that was forming in his stomach, Jesse closed his eyes and started drifting again. Started to go back to Sanctuary.

_Shalimar was there. He could feel her behind him as he fought hologram after hologram. He was charged up…not angry or upset, just restless. He wanted action, it had been to long since the last mission and Brennan wasn't home. Jesse aimed a roundhouse kick at his latest opponent but the hologram fizzled out just before Jesse made contact, instead Shalimar caught his leg. _

_Jesse quickly changed tactics and dropped to the ground, using his other leg to swipe at her. The feral gracefully jumped over the attack, but was forced to release Jesse nonetheless. The fight that followed was intense, and, as always, ended in laughter and mock arguments. _

_Once it was over, and they had caught their breath, they lay side by side staring at the ceiling. Their hands were intertwined in the same hold from when they were younger and more fragile. They just lay there and enjoyed each other's presences for a time before Shalimar asked, "Feel better?" And Jesse just smiled at her, because he did._

There was a sharp pain in his leg that brought him back to the lab and Jesse whimpered. The sound couldn't be heard passed the tubes in his throat and over the beeping of the heart monitor, but it shamed Jesse nonetheless. Whoever was tending to him had done something to his leg, though he couldn't tell what. All he knew was that it hurt, and it was still hurting. He tried to take a deep breath but the tubes in his throat wouldn't allow for that and he nearly chocked on the sensation.

This apparently didn't go unknown by whoever was tending him. They were there in seconds, on the edge of Jesse's vision hitting in a few commands into the machine that controlled the respirator. Instantly, Jesse's lungs were flooded with air, painfully so. Jesse's fists balled up, his nails digging farther into the already torn skin. He wondered vaguely if he'd ever be able to unclench them again…secretly he doubted it. He didn't really care, he just wanted the pain to end and he closed his eyes again, allowing his min to drift away.

_He was wondering Sanctuary, still a little dazed from the day's events. Never had he imagined that Mutant X would again have five members. Not since Pat and Rick left for the underground. That had been a painful time for both Jesse and Shalimar, for those were their bigger siblings. They had saved them, Shalimar from an asylum and Jesse from Genomex and each from a fate worst then death. They had each worked so hard to bring the two 'kids' out from their depressed and beaten down states to the thriving adults, and hero's that they were now. They had been a family, and then Pat and Rick had wanted to leave. No one could blame them; they had done their share. It still hurt though. It had left something empty inside Sanctuary, an emptiness that had been filled today._

_Jesse walked down the halls of his home, smiling as he heard Shalimar and Brennan joking in the kitchen. Adam was standing in the doorway just smiling and shaking his head. He saw Jess as the blond past, giving him a pat on the back and Jesse could tell that Adam too was happy to have a family again. Shalimar called out to Jess a greeting. Brennan turned to size the younger man up, there was a tension forming between them that Jesse wasn't sure about, but Jesse wouldn't let it get to him now. He smiled and waved and continued on down the hall. He was looking for someone, for the missing member of the team._

"_Hey Emma…" he said at the doorway to her room, "May I come in?"_

_The red head turned and smiled at him, but here the memory changed. Instead of leading into the conversation that Jesse remembered it changed into something new._

"_Jesse, we are going to find you and Adam. We are going to save you, both of you. You will be home again Jesse. But this is not home, this is not Sanctuary. You need to wake up."_

"_But Emma….It hurts Emma…." Jesse whimpered._

"_I know Jesse," Emma said, moving towards him and taking his hands in her's. "I know it hurts. But if you stay here you will die. This is not real, this is a dream, and in the real world you are dying. Please Jesse, wake up."_

"_You'll be there?" Jesse asked, feeling like a lost child._

"_Soon. We will be there soon. We will save you…but wake up!"_

Jesse felt a shock rattle his body as conscious returned to him. He could hear voices all around him. They were saying things like "Vitals are stabilizing," "Subject is breathing normally again," "Heart rate normal," and "Brain function has returned."

At first Jesse was confused as to what had happened and where he was causing him to panic, but then Emma's voice drifted through his head offering a strange comfort.

"_Soon Jesse. We'll find you soon. Just stay awake."_


	9. Step by Step

**A/N:** This chapter is rated M for liberal use of the f-word and other not so nice words. so you've been warned and while you're enjoying this update i'm going to go wash my mouth out before my mother does it... =)

line

Adam paced the confines of his cell, looking every bit the restless prisoner. But he wasn't. Though he looked agitated and stressed, he was far from it. Adam was plotting. His cell, at first look, appeared to be solid. But when he looked closer he could see the cracks that were around the door hinges. And when he looked even closer, he noticed he could see right through the cracks to the other room. What this told Adam was that the door could be forced off its' hinges, all he needed to do is figure out how.

"The bed rail is cracked," Emma's voice drifted through Adam's mind causing him to stop in mid step.

"Sorry….I forgot I don't do this to you…" the red head said, and Adam could almost see her blushing.

"Emma?" Adam asked, both demanding an explanation and questioning his own sanity.

"Hi Adam…look, I don't have time to explain now, my focus is waning. Here's a quick update…you and Jess have been MIA for three days. Jesse is being experimented on, which you already know. He's hanging in there for now, but he's not going to make it if we can't get to him. Shalimar and Brennan have found a lead…they should be interrogating him now. I think this guy will lead us to you both…

"Adam, you're right about the door. The hinges are weak, and your bed rail is cracked so you can maybe form a pry bar from that. And you're in luck, cause there doesn't seem to be too many people around you…ten max I think. But wait for us…even if you manage to get to Jesse, Jess can't really go anywhere at the moment. Besides that, if you get caught, we can lose an advantage. Hang in there Adam…I'll give you the word when we're there…we're coming."

With her monolog delivered, Emma faded away from Adam's consciousness, leaving him bewildered and strangely alone…shaking the cobwebs out of his mind, Adam let his focus fall on the bed. He could clearly see what Emma was speaking about, several of the bolts from one side of the support frame had fallen free, leaving one of the thicker pieces lose enough to pry.

Adam smiled grimly as a plan started to form in his mind. He would have to wait for Emma's signal, but if he could get those hinges free he just might be able to beat Wakefield.

line

"Wakey, wakey…" Brennan chimed lightly as he slapped the face Ronald Miller, bringing his prisoner around.

Shalimar paced just behind Brennan, an agitated energy negating her ability to stand still. Her eyes were glowing gold and Brennan could swear she was hissing. He didn't spare a look however, as Miller had fixed him with a hard glare. The man had come around quickly, and instantly started to struggle in his bindings and yell into the gag. Brennan watched him for a moment before glancing back and asking Shalimar, "why do they always struggle?"

Shalimar's only response was to hiss, and Brennan just sighed and shook his head. He approached Miller, a smirk on his face that would make any big bad and ugly wet his pants. And, though now water works, Miller did stop struggling when Brennan reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"Anyways… Hi Miller, good to see you awake. As you can tell my friend and I are a little worked up. You see, a few days ago two friends of ours got kidnapped, and we have this crazy idea you might know something about it. So we're here to ask you a few questions, clear up a few things…and if you lie to us, " Brennan said, his lips forming a serial killer's grin as he leaned in closer to the frightened man, "Not only will she be able to tell, but we're going to have to break a few boons."

Brennan moved behind the Miller and allowed him to see the full effect of Shalimar's eyes while he untied the gag. And it was a pretty powerful effect, the x-military man was definitely impressed by the blond, but not enough to lose his tough guy act. "I've got no fucking clue what you two freaks are talking about!"

Shalimar hissed and Brennan sparked up causing Miller to flinch, but he held to his guns. "Get the fuck out of my house! When I get outta this chair I'll rip your fucking face off!" This time Miller earned himself a slap from Shalimar, complete with claws, leaving scratch marks down his face.

"BITCH!" Miller yelled, this time earning a punch to the back from Brennan that was followed by him taking a handful of Miller's hair and yanking his head back.

"First of all, you're lying. Secondly, we're not freaks. And thirdly, you call her a bitch again and I'll step outside and leave you alone with her. Just a little piece of information you want to consider before you jump at that offer, she's a feral and the two guys we know you helped to kidnap, well they pretty much her little brother and her dad. So, if I were you, I'd start talking," Brennan ordered then released Miller's head, but kept his position behind him.

Miller glared at the two, but he couldn't hide the fact that he was no longer meeting Shalimar's eyes or the paleness of his skin. "You can't prove that I did anything," he said, swallowing a choke in his throat.

"We have you on tape…we've even found the security guard that you paid to look the other way. So, we know that you were the one who put the governor in my brother's neck. Cut the crap and answer our questions…" Shalimar hissed.

Miller pulled away from her as she stared him down into submission. It was hard to be the tough guy in front of Shalimar and Brennan. "You'll have to be specific…" Miller growled, keeping a watchful eye on Shalimar.

Brennan bumped him from the back, "Why's that? Kidnapped a lot of people the last few days?" Miller didn't answer, just glared, eyes never leaving Shalimar, but Brennan didn't care. "You were taking orders from guy. His was big, bald, and ugly. He was also the only one with a gun and he held it to the older man's neck. We want his name."

"Don't know his name," Miller snuffed.

Brennan growled and wrapped his arm around Miller's neck in a headlock and used his free hand to spark up right in front of Miller's face. "Name," he barked.

This time Miller took the hint and didn't put up the fight, "Steven Kurts. We served together, he calls me when he needs some extra muscle."

"And where can we find him?" Brennan barked, playing with the growing spark in his hand.

"I don't know. He calls me when he needs me, pays in cash, and never tells me the whole story. All I know is that he's the contractor and he does the hiring for someone and we go and do the jobs."

"So you have no idea where we can find Steven Kurts, or how to contact him?" Shalimar hissed.

"No. He calls, never from the same phone. And he never gives details over the phone. He tells me a place to meet, gives me the information there and then the job is the next day. And before you ask, it's never the same location twice."

Shalimar and Brennan shared a look and with an aggravated sigh, Brennan powered down. Shalimar shrugged and started heading for the front door. Brennan took a moment to study the back of Miller as the man struggled to free himself. Brennan was struggling too, but his was with what he wanted to do to the bastard in front of him and the 'right thing to do'. He wanted to fry the SOB until her was extra well done, but he knew that he didn't have it in him, and if Jesse found out…Jesse didn't believe in revenge killing. But Brennan just could let this guy off with nothing.

"You know what a governor feels like, when it's being injected into your neck?" Brennan asked, his hushed voice causing Miller to freeze. "I'll take that as a no," Brennan said while placing his palm at the base of Miller's neck and sent a shock through the man. It was fairly harmless, just very painful and it caused Miller to call out and jerk. "That's what it felt like for Jesse when you planted a governor into his neck. Except, that pain, it never goes away and it never dulls. Not until the fucking thing is removed."

His piece said, Brennan left Miller shaking and gasping for air, still bound to his chair. Shalimar was waiting for him at the door, her eyes glowing and a satisfied smile on her face. She said nothing as Brennan passed by her and she turned to follow him.

line

"Any luck?" Emma asked as Shalimar and Brennan entered the hotel room.

"We got a name…but nothing else," Shalimar growled in frustration as she flopped down on the sofa.

"Steve Kurts, he's the guy with the gun to Adam's head in the footage. He did the hiring and apparently is the grunt for someone else. Miller couldn't give us anymore then that and so it looks like another long day of computer work," Brennan filled Emma in, a little bit more completely, "What about you, any luck?"

Emma gave a soft and kind of bittersweet smile, "Adam's doing ok. I managed to get a hit off him and he's frustrated and worried, but he's ok. Jesse…Jesse's holding his own. He's hanging in there…."

Brennan and Shalimar shared a look before the both asked, "What does that mean?"

Emma took a deep breath and as gently as possible said, "He nearly died. But I was able to push him back into his body…"

"WAIT?"

"WHAT?"

Both Shalimar and Brennan cried out at the same time, and both were now on high alert, demanding answers that Emma wasn't sure that they'd understand. So, in light of any other option she had, Emma sent a blast of calmness to both of them, hoping that for the time being they'd remain calm. At least until she could finish explaining.

"You both know that Jesse's in a lot of pain. That whoever is holding him and Adam are experimenting of Jesse," Shalimar and Brennan nodded, neither one looking happy at all. "Well, in an attempt to deal with that pain, Jesse's mind started to separate from his body. To a small degree, that's a good thing. It'll help keep him alive, but Jesse had almost completely detached himself from his body. He almost killed himself…"

Brennan looked sick, and confused, and terrified. Emma could tell that he didn't fully understand what she had explained, he just knew that Jess was in serious trouble. Shalimar, however, looked like she understood all to well.

"It won't kill him….or at least it shouldn't," she said, drawing all eyes on her.

"What do you mean?" Brennan asked.

"Jesse's powers…there's the physical side, sucking in air keeps him massed, breathing out air keeps him phased. There's also the mental. Jesse wasn't detaching, he was trying to phase."

"I don't understand…" Emma said, echoing Brennan's confusion.

Shal stood and began to pace, unsure oh how to continue. This was something that she, nor Adam, and possibly not even Jesse understood fully. Now she had to explain it with out the benefit of either of them here. "Jesse's mind can't take the pain of phasing and massing. No moleculor's mind can. Their bodies are doing something that's just too unnatural; that's why a lot of them have such control issues. One of the ways they learn to control their powers is throw detaching themselves. Look, I don't know how it all works, or how to explain it. I just know that Jesse detaching his mind when he phases."

"I don't understand how any of this is important…." Brennan said, so completely confused and frustrated.

Emma, however, understood fully, "Whatever is being done to Jess, it involves his massed form. His powers…if there's ever a problem, they always try to fix themselves with the opposite power. When he phases out of control, they try to mass him back into control, when he masses out of control….He's trying to phase, so he must be massed or massing often!"

Shalimar nodded, and understanding flashed on Brennan's face. "So if we know that Jesse is being experimented on, and we know that the experiment requires him to be massed…we take that and add in Steven Kurts, an ex-military goon, we can narrow out search to military experiments and see what pops up," Brennan concluded.


	10. Chapter 10

**Closing In**

"So if we know that Jesse is being experimented on, and we know that the experiment requires him to be massed…we take that and add in Steven Kurts, an ex-military goon, we can narrow our search to military experiments and see what pops up," Brennan concluded.

And what popped up was a very scary.

Steven Kurts had been dishonorably discharged after helping a doctor named Jeremy Wakefield. The doctors had been accused of torturing and murdering men to further his weapon experiments. One of those weapons was a laser that he had been trying to prove it could burn through anything.

After the doctor had been put on suspension pending investigation, he had fled with his research assistant and Kurts. After that, he disappeared with no trace for a year. Now he has suddenly reappeared and apparently kidnapped Jesse and Adam, but they still didn't understand why.

"What I don't get is that for the last month, they were trying to get Adam. But from what Emma is telling us, they really were after Jess. So why try for Adam? Why go after him?" Brennan asked after they had reviewed the information they had gathered.

"There are many possible reasons," Emma answered, "They could have been trying to draw Jesse out. I mean, that worked, Jesse was the one who was elected to be Adam's bodyguard whenever he goes out."

"And Emma brings up a good point, every time they tried to grab Adam, Jesse was there. And you know that if someone took any of us and demanded that Jesse surrender to them or we'll be killed, he'd do it in a heartbeat. The question isn't why they took Adam and Jess, it's where they took them," Shalimar said and Brennan nodded his agreement, finding it hard to argue with her logic.

"I think I may have something," Emma said from her position in front of the computers.

"What is it Em?" Brennan asked as he moved behind her.

"It's land purchase by a J. Wake from a survival extremist. A bunker about three hours from the city," Emma answered. "I think this is the place."

"Why?" Shalimar asked.

"Because, J. Wake is a suspected aisle of Jeremy Wakefield and the connection between Adam and Jesse and us just got a little stronger when I found it."

"That's enough of a reason for me," Brennan said looking up to Shalimar who was smirking.

"Let's go knock on some doors," she said.

LINE

"Shall we begin the tests?" Wakefield said cheerfully as he and Annette entered the room. Steven was checking over Jesse but as the others walked in he turned to face them.

"His vitals are stable, his brain activity is normal, and he's conscious. I think it's safe to begin," he answered Wakefield.

"Good! Annette, if you would monitor the governor and Steven, his vitals, I'll power the laser. I think we can do a full scale test, don't you?"

"Do you think that would be wise sir?" Steven asked glancing at Jesse.

For the first time since signing on with Wakefield he was starting to have his doubts about what was happening. At first, he had believed in Wakefield's theory that his laser would give the US the edge they needed to stop the wars in the Middle East. He had seen too many young men and friends die in recent years and he was willing to try anything to stop the body count.

Yet, he couldn't believe that this was helping anything. All the men before had been either dead or the enemy, but this kid was neither. Sure, he was a mutant and that made him dangerous, but there was something about the young man lying on the table that just made Steven sympathies with him.

It was hard not too. Jesse was pale as a ghost, fighting hard for every breath of air, and barely staying conscious. Sure, his vitals were normal and his breathing was steady, but just barely. Over the four days he had been here, the bruises from the first day had started to appear on his skin, marking the only exception to his paleness. The overall effect was that the young man looked more like a little boy.

"Well, we can't afford to wait. Besides, the machines will keep him alive," Wakefield said off handedly.

Steven wasn't convinced, he stood looking into the face of the young man before him for a moment longer before moving into his assigned position. He stared at Jesse's vitals as Wakefield once again activated the laser and tried to ignore the sounds of distress and the smell of burnt flesh.

LINE

Adam had been working patiently since Emma had spoken to him; simply biding his time until he heard from her again. He had managed to free his 'pry bar' and loosen the hinges, all they would need was one solid push and he'd be free. The only thing left to do was sit and wait. Emma had said that there were about ten other people inside this place besides himself. He assumed that one of them was Jesse and three were his 'hosts', which left six guards. Six against his team? That just didn't seem fare, even if all six guards were mutants they wouldn't be able to last five seconds against Mutant X. But then again, that wasn't the problem.

The problem was Jesse, more specifically, how to get him out of here. Adam seriously doubted that after four days as a 'test subject' Jesse would be in any condition to just walk. In fact, Adam wasn't sure if Jesse would be able to walk ever again. He had no idea what kind of trauma had been inflected upon his protégé but he could guess that it was going to be bad. Jesse was going to need immediate medical attention and Adam decided right there and then, that nothing was going to stop him from getting him to the younger man.

"One problem at a time Kane, let's just get out of the cell first," he said to himself in an effort to remain calm. He was growing unusually antsy as time passed and there was still no word from Emma. He wondered briefly if this was what it was like for his protégées while they waited for a mission, but only briefly. As soon as the thought entered his mind Emma pushed it out.

"Adam, we found you and are on our way. Wait twenty minuets and then make a break for it. We're almost there…."

Then she was gone and the count down had begun.


	11. Chapter 11

**A Matter of Timing**

Jesse screamed as the laser burned through his massed leg. Of course it didn't sound like a scream with all the tubes in his throat, but it was. His world was turning black at the edges and he was fighting not just to stay conscious, but to stay alive. He could feel his heart trying to beat its' way out of his chest and every cell in his body spasm in pain. He doubted he had ever been in such pain before.

The people around him however didn't notice. They were too busy monitoring the tests to care. Each one was focused on their own tasks, caught up in the excitement of success. The laser had managed to penetrate Jesse's massed form for the last five tests, proving that the laser was unstoppable. It was such a glorious occasion for the team that they were taken completely by surprised when an alarm went off.

"What the hell…" Wakefield started looking around confused and unhappy.

"The north gate alarm, somebody's trying to break in," Steven said as he too looked around.

Wakefield hissed in frustration before ordering, "Annette, stop the tests. Steven, go check out that alarm and make sure Kane is still in his cell. This interruption is not appreciated…."

LINE

It was safe to say that Adam Kane was not in his cell. As soon as the alarm went off, Adam had made a break for it. As luck would have it, all the guards in the base had run to the location of the alarm so he had very little opposition. Unless of course, you counted getting lost as opposition; he had no clue where Jesse might be.

For the past five minuets, he had been turning around in the halls trying to figure out the base's layout while cursing himself for not being faster. For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that Jesse was running out of time. It was a hollowing sort of thought that he tried to push out of his head but each time he turned the wrong way it would resurface.

"Can't I just get a break?" Adam growled angrily after yet another wrong turn and more wasted time.

Then, as if God had heard him, Adam spotted a man exiting a room at the end of the hall around the corner from where he was. Upon closer inspection he could tell that it was the man who had kidnapped he and Jess and Adam breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that the man worked closely with Wakefield, and that he would probably be close to Wakefield most of the time. So Adam could hazard a guess that the room he had just exited was where Wakefield was.

"And if Wakefield is there, even if he's not with Jess, I can force him to take me to Jess," Adam told himself.

So the doctor forced himself to wait for a minuet or two, watching to see if Steven returned, and when he saw no signs of the man, he moved. Carefully, he crept down the hall towards the door, forcing himself to remain controlled, though it was hard. He could hear Wakefield's voice coming out of the room and it made his excitement grow. So much so, that Adam felt he was ready to take on anything Wakefield could throw at him, except for what he saw when he entered that room.

LINE

While Adam was making his way to Jesse, and Jesse was fighting to live, the rest of the team were fighting to make their way inside. The plan had been to sneak in undetected and take the base in secret. That had failed when Brennan, while trying to short out a lock, had accidently shorted out the alarm system setting the sirens off.

"Damn it," he hissed as the wailing started, "well they know we're here now." He turned to face the two women behind him and shrugged. What else could they do now but prepare for a fight?

Shalimar looked ready for it, in fact, she looked like she wanted it, and Brennan couldn't blame her. These men had kidnapped Adam and Jesse and were torturing Jess, they deserved no mercy. Still, it was a little unnerving to see such animalistic aggression in the blond's face. Emma, on the other hand, looked the opposite. She was completely calm with a far away, distant look to her features.

"We have ten coming out way. Adam is moving towards Jesse, and there are three with Jes…wait, now only two. Eleven is headed our way," she said, coming back to herself.

Brennan smiled and sparked up, "Easy pickings," he said as he pushed the door open and the three stepped in.

The men who came to stop them were the best of the best. X-marines, Seals, Mercs; all the best that the armed forces had to offer. Top of the class fighting men, and they didn't even last five seconds with the three mutants, not that Brennan and Emma really got a chance to fight. Shalimar was at her peek and had taken out eight men by the time Brennan and Emma had taken out one. If they weren't in such a hurry and so worried then they might have been impressed. As it were however, they needed to get to Jesse, but at the moment, someone stood in their way.

LINE

"My God…" Adam whispered as he caught sight of Jesse. The young man who he had come to consider a son was barely the same person. He was pale and frail looking with tubes and wires all around him. There was a serious of horrible looking burns all over his body, but focused on the half that was massed. Worst yet, there was no movement from any of his limbs, only the rise and fall of his chest from air provided by the breathing machine. For a horrible second Adam thought that he was dead, kept alive only by machines. But as that same horrible second passed, the sound of a heart monitor with a steady beeping, reassured him otherwise.

It was hard to say who was more shocked in the room, Wakefield and Annette by Adam's sudden appearance or Adam by the sight of Jesse. However, it was clear to see who recovered first as Annette reached for a small gun that was kept near her workstation. Adam saw the movement and managed to scramble to cover before she could aim it properly and she fired at empty air.

The sound was deafening and Adam had to grit his teeth against the ringing in his ears. Still he managed to say, "Give it up Wakefield, my team is here. It's only a matter of time before they make their way down here."

"Impossible!" the doctor called arrogantly, "I have the best of the best on my pay roll. They'll be killed."

Adam felt a pinch of fear at the declaration, but he knew his team and he was absolutely sure in their abilities, especially when so much was at stack. "I doubt it, you've never seen Mutant X in action. Give up now and you can still escape. I just want Jesse," Adam lied, trying to keep Wakefield focused on him and away from Jesse.

The one he should have been worried about was Annette, for during the conversation she had moved over to Jesse's body and now stood posed to shoot him. "Dr. Kane, I do believe you should surrender. Kilmartin is no longer useful and thus expendable."

"Shit," Adam thought.

LINE

Steven watched from the shadows as the three mutants took out his security team. He was impressed with the skill that the seemingly untrained three-man team had, but Steven was a solider. He was always prepared, always ready, and always willing to kill or be killed. The team in front of him was Mutant X, Adam Kane's special team of which Jesse Kilmartin was the only bulletproof member. And Jesse Kilmartin was currently neutralized. These three weren't bullet proof. A fact that he used to his advantage as he pointed his m-16 at them.

"That's enough," he commanded, his voice completely void of all emotion.

Both Shalimar and Brennan froze. Neither one knew quite what to do with this new situation. Normally they'd find cover while Jesse provided a shield for Brennan and fired bolts at the shooter. However, this wasn't normal and they were suddenly aware of just how vulnerable they currently were. But that was Shalimar and Brennan. Emma was just fine.

She stepped forward, eyes glowing and a little ball of pure emotion forming in front of her head. "Lower the gun Steven," she called softly, startling every one around her.

Steven swung the gun from Shalimar and Brennan towards Emma, "Do not step closer."

Emma paused, but did not back down, "You know why we're here. You know who we are. You know what we can do."

"Mutant X. You're the best non-military squad in the world. You're here for Jesse Kilmartin," the answers came from Steven as if he was repeating a school lesson for his teacher.

"And you're not going to stop us, are you?" Emma asked, the ball in front of her head glowing more and more intensely.

There was a pause for a moment and a clear struggle for control on Steven's face that made Emma frown and push harder.

"Jesse is our brother, our _younger_ brother. He's just a kid, and he doesn't deserve this. It's time to let him go home," Emma said, focusing on the sympathy she sense from the man.

Finally, Steven nodded and lowered his weapon.

"Thank you Steven," Emma said, "now sleep." With that, she pushed the small ball of mental energy into Steven's mind and the solider fell to the floor unconscious.

Brennan and Shalimar were both left awestruck as they watched the scene unfold. When Emma turned to look at them, Brennan just shook his head and said, "Emma, you're scary good."

The red head smiled and shrugged the complement off, "Come on, let's get going. I think Adam might need our help."


	12. Chapter 12

The Rescue

Adam was in a stalemate. If he surrendered, both he and Jesse were dead, but if he didn't they were still both dead. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn't, and while he feared for Jesse's life he knew there was no way he was going down with out a fight. With that thought in mind, Adam took a deep breath and threw his spur of the moment plan into action. He raised his hands and took a step forward, a step closer to both his target and a chair near him.

"Don't shoot him, I'll surrender," Adam said as he risked another step.

"Hold right there Dr. Kane," Annette ordered sharply, pressing the gun to Jesse's head. Wakefield had moved back away from the line of fire, to the laser controls.

Adam froze, as ordered, with in arms reach of the chair. He took a deep breath and held it, biding his time and hoping the others weren't too far away.

"Annette, help me gather the data. We'll take Dr. Kane with us to keep Mutant X away," Wakefield ordered as he frantically typed commands into the console.

"What about Kilmartin?" Annette asked, her eyes still trained on Adam and gun still pressed to Jesse's head.

"As you said, he's expendable. We'll kill him as we leave," Wakefield said and added, glancing up at the scene before him, "It's better to leave him alive until then. Two hostages better then one…."

Annette nodded, and with one final warning glare at Adam, she stepped away from Jesse. It was here that two things happened at once.

First, Adam lunged forward and picked up the chair and then tossed it at Annette, causing her to fall back into the wall. At the same time, the rest of Mutant X, lead by Emma, made it to the room. This startled Wakefield who tried to reach for his own gun near his workstation. He didn't have a chance as a bolt of electricity hit him and he fell to the floor, unconscious. As for Annette, while she was trying to stumble back to her feet, Shalimar hit her dead on with a one two punch, knocking her out.

Adam and Emma were just about oblivious to what was happening around them, they were focused on Jesse. Adam had moved to the computers going from station to station learning as much as he could as fast as he could about Jesse's condition. Emma had gone directly to Jesse's side. She was the only one in the room who could hear the molecule's silent screams

"Jesse," she called breathlessly, as she reached the younger man's side. There were tears in his eyes as he looked up at Emma, barely able to recognize her through the pain. His thoughts hit the empath as soon as she met his eyes; he was begging her to make the pain stop, to make it all go away. But Emma wasn't sure she knew how.

Just about half of Jesse's body was massed and burned and he struggled to breath. The pain was making him panic and the panic was quickly going to kill him. Worse yet, the panic was making it impossible for Emma to connect to his mind and help him.

"Jesse, please, please, shhhh…. let me help you," she begged him franticly, trying very hard herself not to panic. But the molecular couldn't hear her and Emma could feel his life slipping away. "Jesse please…" she cried, near tears.

"Easy Jess, easy, we've got you," Brennan's voice said softly from behind him, startling the young women. Brennan gently pushed Emma aside and moved next to Jesse, placing his hand on Jesse's brow. Brennan could hardly believe that the man lying before him was his Jesse, the same man that he loved. He was too pale, too frail, and too scared to be Jesse. The sight of Jesse like this, and the knowledge that he was in such pain was enough to make Brennan want to strangle Wakefield, but he didn't. Instead, he focuses on Jesse and trying to hold his attention long enough for Emma to get inside his head, hoping that she would be able to ease his pain.

"I got you kiddo," Brennan whispered, sinking down to his knees, his hand running over Jesse's baldhead. "They cut your hair," Brennan tried to tease, but he was too upset for it to work. Jesse's eyes fixed on Brennan's, still full of pain and fear, but now there was shame in them and Brennan regretted even mentioning Jesse's hair. It was strange, Brennan thought, that something so simple as them cutting off Jesse's hair could be so upsetting.

"Emma's going to help you, aren't you Emma?" Brennan said as he glanced over to the red head who was quietly watching the two. She nodded and step forward, drawing Jesse's attention.

"I'm going to ease your pain Jess. It's going to be ok," Emma reassured her friend as a ball of energy formed in front of her. Jesse's eyes widened as he saw it form and move closer to him, but Brennan's hand on his head kept him calm. And when the ball of energy hit him, it felt like a wave of coolness washing over him. Instantly the pain in his body reseeded to a dull ach and he could feel himself finally start to relax for the first time in what felt like years.

"It's alright Jesse," Emma soothed, "You can sleep. You're safe…."

And with Emma's reassurance, Jesse drifted off into the welcoming arms of oblivion.

LINE

While Brennan and Emma worked on comforting Jesse, Adam and Shalimar were working on freeing him. With Shalimar monitoring his vitals, Adam was able to quickly familiarize himself with what had been done to Jesse.

"Emma's stabilized him Adam, what have you learned?" Shalimar called.

"The device attached to Jesse that's controlling his powers is the same design Genomex used. In a few minuets I'll be able to deactivate it, which will help. However, I am concerned about his breathing and the burns. He's been on the ventilator for nearly five days, I don't know how week his lungs will be. And the burns…there's no telling."

"But you can help him?" Brennan called from his position next to Jesse, "He's going to be alright?"

Adam paused in his efforts to deactivate the governor on Jesse and meet Brennan's eyes. "I'm going to do everything I can Brennan. I promise."

It wasn't what any of the other wanted to hear, but it was the only thing that Adam could offer. With determination, he set himself to the task of deactivating the governor and freeing Jesse from that torment.

Shalimar had moved over to her 'brother' to help Brennan and Emma release him from the many restraints. Her eyes flashed when she saw him and she had to fight back her rage. She glanced over at the still unconscious Annette and Wakefield and growled, before looking back at Jesse. Her eyes fell on his baldhead and she felt tears well up in her eyes, "Did they have to shave his head?"

She felt Brennan's hand on her shoulder and she turned to except the hug that he was offering. "He's strong Shal," Brennan assured him, "He's made it this far, he's not going to give up."

Shal nodded and returned the hug before pulling away from Brennan and going to her brother's side. And so started the vigil.


	13. Matter of Time

**A Matter of Time**

Jesse was stable. That was the best they could say. Adam had managed to deactivate the device and remove one of the breathing tubes. But the side that had been massed for so long was too weak to support breathing. Adam had to leave that tube in, though he removed the chest tube and stitched the wound closed. The burns on Jesse's body were bad, but Adam didn't feel they were life threatening. For the time being, it seemed that Jesse was going to be all right. Of course, it had been nearly ten hours since Jesse had been awake.

Adam sighed as he looked up from the monitor he was watching over to Jesse and Brennan. The element had won out over Shalimar and Emma the right to stay with Jesse while the other two went to retrieve the Helix. That was the only way to safely and quickly transport Jesse back to Sanctuary. The Army, who Adam had contacted to come and arrest Wakefield, had offered to transfer him to a facility, but Adam had refused. Now, looking over at the molecular, Adam wondered if he had made a mistake.

"How is he?" Adam asked Brennan who was sitting by Jesse quietly talking to him.

Brennan looked up, his expression saying more then words, "He's stopped moving and he's not responding…."

Adam sighed as rubbed his eyes, "He's probably exhausted. His body has a lot of recovering to do. His genetic structure is stable, and that's a big thing. Hopefully he just needs sleep."

"What about the burns? And his lungs?" Brennan asked, his voice reflecting his fear.

"The burns are, mostly, superficial. The one I am worried about is the second-degree burn on his left leg that appears to have a slight infection. But it should be ok. As for his lungs…they've been weakened. That much I can't deny. How much they've been weakened and if it's permanent I can't say. Not until I can run some tests. He's stable though, and that counts for a lot."

Brennan just nodded, he didn't look at all relieved and Adam couldn't blame him. Moleculars had always been the most unstable mutation as well as the most susceptible to illness. Adam knew, as did everyone else, that Jesse's chance of infection was high and that his ability to fight one was low.

It was all just a matter of time.

LINE

It was another two hours before Shalimar arrived back at the base with the Helix. Emma had stayed behind to get things ready for their arrival. It was another two hours to get back to Sanctuary and another three hours before Adam was finished checking over Jesse. In this whole time, there was barely a word spoken. No one was willing to break the silence; least they set into motion some catastrophic event.

As soon as Jesse was settled in, Adam insisted that everyone go and get some rest. Shalimar and Brennan both refused, insisting that someone should monitor Jesse's vitals. Adam was too exhausted to argue and let the two have their way, as long as they worked in shifts. Little did Adam know that working in shifts would become routine.

Jesse slipped into a coma his first night home and now, two weeks later, he was still showing no signs of waking.

"The good news is he's breathing on his own now, the bad news is that he's still comatose," Adam reported to Emma, Shalimar, and Brennan as they gathered in the kitchen. The scientist felt drained, both emotionally and physically. A look at the others, and he knew he wasn't the only one.

"And the burns? Are they still infected?" Brennan asked, his voice thick with weariness.

"No, the infection was slight to start with, and it's nearly gone. That, at least, is one less thing to worry about. As for the burns, they're healing steadily."

"So why is he still comatose?" Shalimar asked.

"I don't know," was the only answer Adam could give, "The only thing I can think of is oxygen deprivation or shock."

"Or he's tired," Emma said softly, causing the others to look at her.

"What's that Em?" Brennan asked.

"What if he's just tired? What if he's not in a coma, but a really deep sleep?" Em asked, half out of hope and half from what she sensed.

"What makes you think that Emma?" Adam asked.

The empath shrugged, "I don't know… I… I think Jess is dreaming…"

"Emma, his brain has shown no signs of REM sleep…" Adam began.

"I know that Adam, but there's a kind of dream that science can't prove but empaths know they're real," Emma said quickly.

"What do you mean Em?" Shalimar asked.

"I call them quiet dreams…they're emotion heavy and not imagery. It's hard to explain... it's just Jesse's been having them and the strange part is, is that he's been having them in a normal sleep pattern."

"What does that mean?" Brennan asked, looking to Adam.

"It mean's Emma is sensing Jesse's brain activity," Adam responded thoughtfully, "Em, you're sure about this?"

"Yeah…pretty sure…why?"

"I think I have an idea…" Adam said as he hurriedly exited the room. The three remaining team members exchanged hopeful glances as they followed him.

They found Adam in the lab, injecting a drug into Jesse's IV lines.

"What's that Adam?" Shalimar asked.

"It's a stimulant. I hadn't thought of trying this sense I thought Jesse was comatose. But if Emma is right, then this…"

"Might wake him up?" Shalimar asked, hopefully.

"Or at least push him into a normal level of sleep," Adam agreed.

"But what if I was wrong?" Emma asked, her voice soft and scared.

"Could this hurt him Adam?" Brennan asked, echoing Emma's concern.

Adam shook his head, "If he's comatose then the drug won't affect him." Adam finished injecting the drug and turned to the other three, "And now we wait."

LINE

Jesse wasn't exactly sure what was going on. There was a great deal of commotion happening all around him, but he couldn't figure out what it was. There were a number of voices, and he could identify that they were all different speakers, but he had no clue what they were saying. He could sense them moving around him, but had no idea why. It was really annoying, considering all he wanted to do was sleep. He was just so tired and sleep meant no pain.

The pain…he'd almost forgotten about that, but it hit him as soon as he thought about it. Though, he had to admit, it wasn't as bad as he remembered… what did he remember? What was the last thing he remembered?

_There was a lab. There was a laser and it was being fired. There was pain. Then Adam was there and there were gunshots and voices. And then Brennan was talking. Brennan was there and everything was going to be alright. But there was pain… There was so much pain…_

"Jesse, come on kiddo, wake up," Brennan's voice penetrated the fog in Jesse's mind, chasing away the fragments of memory.

"Bren…" Jess whispered, but he wasn't sure if he could be heard. His throat was so raw and his tongue felt so heavy that he didn't know if he'd just imagined the word being said.

"Right here Jess, it's alright. I'm right here," Brennan said, and Jesse wondered at the excitement that he heard.

"Jess, can you open your eyes?" Shalimar asked, her voice equally as excited as Brennan's.

"No…tired…sleep…" Jesse mumbled trying to turn away from the voice.

The others around him laughed and Emma said, "Uh-uh, no more sleeping Jess. You have to wake up."

"Jesse, if you open your eyes for a minuet, we'll let you go back to sleep, but unless you open your eyes we won't let you fall back asleep" Adam said calmly.

Jesse sighed, annoyed, as tired as he was, he knew that Adam meant what he said. He had no choice, he'd have to wake up to go back to sleep…irony.

It was harder then it should have been, opening his eyes. He had to make several attempts, and even then he could only get them open half way. But that seemed to be enough to make everyone happy, he even got a kiss from Brennan.

"There you are," Shalimar said lightly, tears in her eyes.

Jesse looked from Shalimar to Adam, to Emma and then to Brennan, confused. They all seemed to be tearing up. And why were they all there, around him? And why was he in the med-bay? What was going on?

Jesse tried to sit up, but Brennan held him firmly in place, "Take it easy Jess, you're ok. You're safe and everything is alright."

"There's time enough for explanations Jesse," Emma said softly, sensing Jess' confusion, "for now just go back to sleep. We'll still be here."

"Promise?" Jesse mumbled as he drifted back into sleep.

"Promise Jess," Brennan reassured him, smiling for the first time in weeks.


End file.
